Monday, April 13, 2009

conspiracy

Acts 2:14,22-33; Psalm 16 Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope; Matthew 28:8-15

Today as we look into the gospel we encounter a conspiracy.  

The scribes, pharisees, and chief priest conspired against Jesus to put him to death.  They wanted to get rid of Him. 

And it worked.  He was put to death. 

On the first day of the week after the resurrection, we find the guards who were guarding his tomb overcome with fear and anxiety as the earth shakes and stone is rolled away. 

They run to the chief priest to tell them what had happened.  They were paid to keep their mouths shut, "they gave them a large sum of money to the soldiers."

They were also told to spread a rumor that the disciples came during the night and took the body of Jesus.  Not only did they conspire to kill Him, they conspired to keep him dead.

The conspiracy against Christ continues today.  Many people seek to keep Jesus dead.  They conspire to shut the mouths of believers and thus eliminate the witness of true belief. 

Jesus in the gospel reaches the women and tells them to go tell the disciples to meet him in Galilee.  What is Jesus looking for?  He is looking for men and women to help Him affirm his victory to the world. 

This is our role.  We must take a stand against the many conspiracies that want to keep Jesus dead and bear the witness to the ends of the earth.  We bear that witness by the choices we make and the life we live.  Only this way does the true light shine forth.      

As John reminds us in the gospel, "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it."

There will always be darkness.  There will always be those who oppose the truth.  We must choose each day to take a stand for Christ, be a witness to his victory with our life.

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